What are the issues facing the ‘capped cost’ funding reforms and what are the options for policymakers?

The government has committed to implementing reform of care funding in England in April 2016.

However, detailed analysis of the ‘capped cost’ reforms suggest they are unlikely to meet any of their objectives:

People’s care costs will not be capped;

A market in pre-funded care insurance is unlikely to emerge;

Rather than providing peace of mind to the population, annual increases in the ‘cap’ may stoke worry and concern.

With less than three years until the reforms are due to be implemented, this report examines in detail the issues facing the ‘capped cost’ model’ and identifies the options for policymakers to fix these problems.

The report concludes by assembling a range of options into an alternative package of measures that could be implemented in April 2016: the ‘capped cost plus’ model.